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Pulaski woman goes to store to buy bird seed, wins $1 million on lottery game

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Barbara Krupke, (center) of Pulaski, won a $1,000,000 prize on the 25X the Cash scratch-off game. She was presented with an over-sized check by New York Lottery's Magen MacDavid (right) today at the Kinney Drugs on Rome Road in Pulaski. Penny Finch, a Kinney employee, sold Krupke the ticket on May 20.
(Sarah Moses | smoses@syracuse.com)

Pulaski, NY -- Barbara Krupke, of Pulaski, needed bird seed for her outdoor bird feeders so she headed out to Kinney Drugs on Rome Road, which is her usual stop for a variety of items.

While there, the retired restaurant owner, decided to cash in winning scratch-off tickets worth $15. Krupke used her winnings to purchase two more tickets, a $10 Set for Life and a $5 25X the Cash ticket.

Krupke hit the jackpot on the 25X the Cash ticket, winning $1,000,000. She purchased the ticket on May 20 and chose to receive her prize as a one-time lump sum payment. She will receive $502,968 after taxes.

Krupke and her husband, Chuck Krupke, are retired. They used to own the Ponderosa Steakhouse, just down the road from Kinney Drugs. Their son now owns the restaurant.

The couple has four adult children and 11 grandchildren. Krupke said she plans to share the winnings with her family.

"We're kind of lucky and we've been pretty successful," she said. "We've done everything for ourselves and now we've like to give back to our family."

Krupke said she plans to keep a little bit of the money to do something special with her husband and she plans to give the rest of the money to 29 members of their family.

Krupke was presented with an over-sized prize check this morning by New York Lottery's Magen MacDavid at the Kinney Drugs. Krupke and a few members of her family celebrated with Kinney employees, including Penny Finch, who sold Krupke the winning ticket.

"I know all the girls here," Krupke said. "I'm here all the time. I love this store."